The official Christmas FM thread

Lord Nelson

DvB wrote: »

Have they announced the official launch date yet? Still hoping its not the Saturday myself. Always associate the launch with a lunchbreak in work, usually with a site visit that requires me being in the car at the time

It's been the 28th for a good number of years. The BAI rules mean there must be a full 365 days between commencement so the start date can't move back, only forwards. That being the case if I was a betting man (which I'm not!) I'd say the 28th is most likely.

DvB

Lord Nelson wrote: »

It's been the 28th for a good number of years. The BAI rules mean there must be a full 365 days between commencement so the start date can't move back, only forwards. That being the case if I was a betting man (which I'm not!) I'd say the 28th is most likely.

Had copped that, hence expecting the Saturday. Which unless we're in lockdown means I'm likely to miss it.... always busy Saturday morning and lunchtime.

Jude13

28th would work for us. (Our weekend is Fri 7 Sat). Take out all the decs Friday and put up the tree. Saturday would be decorate the tree to Christmas fm.

webpal

Alexa prompt has changed again on my echo dot. When I ask to play Christmas fm or Christmas fm Ireland, Christmas fm classical plays. Does anyone have any other prompts?

Loughc

webpal wrote: »

Alexa prompt has changed again on my echo dot. When I ask to play Christmas fm or Christmas fm Ireland, Christmas fm classical plays. Does anyone have any other prompts?

Hage you tried saying Alexa play ChristmasFM on tunein?

Lord Nelson

webpal wrote: »

Alexa prompt has changed again on my echo dot. When I ask to play Christmas fm or Christmas fm Ireland, Christmas fm classical plays. Does anyone have any other prompts?

I'm told that the streams, Alexa, app etc are all currently being updated in preparation for launch so it could be something to do with that?

DvB

Lord Nelson wrote: »

It's been the 28th for a good number of years. The BAI rules mean there must be a full 365 days between commencement so the start date can't move back, only forwards. That being the case if I was a betting man (which I'm not!) I'd say the 28th is most likely.

Was just thinking about this, i.e. the 365 day thing & whilst you're correct that it tends to start on the 28th Nov & finishes on the 27th Dec with this year being a leap year they could technically launch on the 27th & still comply with the 365 day rule. Though that would mean finishing up on the 26th which I simply can't see happening. So agree, looking like Saturday 28th Nov to kick it all off.

Would love an extra day though, launch on Fri 27th Nov & finish Dec 27th as well!
Thats not being greedy, is it?

Lord Nelson

DvB wrote: »

Was just thinking about this, i.e. the 365 day thing & whilst you're correct that it tends to start on the 28th Nov & finishes on the 27th Dec with this year being a leap year they could technically launch on the 27th & still comply with the 365 day rule. Though that would mean finishing up on the 26th which I simply can't see happening. So agree, looking like Saturday 28th Nov to kick it all off.

Would love an extra day though, launch on Fri 27th Nov & finish Dec 27th as well!
Thats not being greedy, is it?

Exceeding the 30 day limit would be the end of civilisation as we know it!! Suggest it to the BAI, they'll probably set up a committee and kick the can down the road for the next five years like everything else they put their hand to..

TRS30

Lord Nelson wrote: »

Exceeding the 30 day limit would be the end of civilisation as we know it!! Suggest it to the BAI, they'll probably set up a committee and kick the can down the road for the next five years like everything else they put their hand to..

Maybe they would make an exception for this year. After everything that has gone on people need cheering up and Christmas FM provide a vital public service imo.

Loughc

TRS30 wrote: »

Maybe they would make an exception for this year. After everything that has gone on people need cheering up and Christmas FM provide a vital public service imo.

Yea that's never going to happen, BAI would rather pull the licence than break protocol on any of their rulings.

TRS30

Loughc wrote: »

Yea that's never going to happen, BAI would rather pull the licence than break protocol on any of their rulings.

freida

TRS30 wrote: »

Maybe they would make an exception for this year. After everything that has gone on people need cheering up and Christmas FM provide a vital public service imo.

There are online christmas stations you can listen to all year. Someone posted a link before. But this is one

https://www.accuradio.com/search/Christmas%20/

Loughc

TRS30 wrote: »

Maybe they would make an exception for this year. After everything that has gone on people need cheering up and Christmas FM provide a vital public service imo.

I should add some context, anyone in the public can bring forth suggestions to the BAI. I've suggested an possible extension to the ChristmasFM licence as it does so much good work for charities and the likes.

The suggestion was met with complete and utter disdain the idea of going outside the 30 day licence seems sacrilegious to them.

Separately I got chatting to someone who was very knowledgeable about the licencing system and approvals and he said the licence for ChristmasFM isn't a guarantee every year and they're lengthy debates on it most years.

How they don't see the benefit of what ChristmasFM do for charities and the wider communities is beyond me.

TRS30

Loughc wrote: »

I should add some context, anyone in the public can bring forth suggestions to the BAI. I've suggested an possible extension to the ChristmasFM licence as it does so much good work for charities and the likes.

The suggestion was met with complete and utter disdain the idea of going outside the 30 day licence seems sacrilegious to them.

Separately I got chatting to someone who was very knowledgeable about the licencing system and approvals and he said the licence for ChristmasFM isn't a guarantee every year and they're lengthy debates on it most years.

How they don't see the benefit of what ChristmasFM do for charities and the wider communities is beyond me.

'The BAI can award temporary sound broadcasting contracts for a period of up to 30 days in a 12 month period and also, if the applicant group represents a community and is seeking to set up a community radio station, then the period can be up to 100 days.'

Do we count as a community??

Loughc

TRS30 wrote: »

'The BAI can award temporary sound broadcasting contracts for a period of up to 30 days in a 12 month period and also, if the applicant group represents a community and is seeking to set up a community radio station, then the period can be up to 100 days.'

Do we count as a community??

Boards Community Christmas Radio does have a good ring to it :pac:

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Separately I got chatting to someone who was very knowledgeable about the licencing system and approvals and he said the licence for ChristmasFM isn't a guarantee every year and they're lengthy debates on it most years.

How they don't see the benefit of what ChristmasFM do for charities and the wider communities is beyond me.

If it was declined I'd love to see the reasoning behind it & actually see the people who deemed it unworthy of a licence. None of this hiding behind a committee BS.

Declan A Walsh

Loughc wrote: »

I should add some context, anyone in the public can bring forth suggestions to the BAI. I've suggested an possible extension to the ChristmasFM licence as it does so much good work for charities and the likes.

The suggestion was met with complete and utter disdain the idea of going outside the 30 day licence seems sacrilegious to them.

Separately I got chatting to someone who was very knowledgeable about the licencing system and approvals and he said the licence for ChristmasFM isn't a guarantee every year and they're lengthy debates on it most years.

How they don't see the benefit of what ChristmasFM do for charities and the wider communities is beyond me.

DvB wrote: »

If it was declined I'd love to see the reasoning behind it & actually see the people who deemed it unworthy of a licence. None of this hiding behind a committee BS.

The reality is that Christmas FM has been running with a temporary license since 2008 without a gap. This year will be the thirteenth in a row.

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Yea that's never going to happen, BAI would rather pull the licence than break protocol on any of their rulings.

Agree. The BAI as pointed out by yourself & Lord Nelson are a law unto themselves and wont be bending rules for anyone.

My suggestion was more in hope & jest than expectation.

So a saturday KO looking likely. May have to put the foot down & ensure my availability to be listening live.

TRS30

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

The reality is that Christmas FM has been running with a temporary license since 2008 without a gap. This year will be the thirteenth in a row.

Is that a good or bad thing? I.e. is the longer you get a temporary licence make it more or less likely you will get it again.

Declan A Walsh

TRS30 wrote: »

Is that a good or bad thing? I.e. is the longer you get a temporary licence make it more or less likely you will get it again.

Maybe it is more likely actually because the people behind the station have proven that the concept does work and that they are able to fund it. But my point really is that so far the BAI have accepted the application for a temporary license whether or not there is some debate behind the scenes in BAI about it.

DvB

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Maybe it is more likely actually because the people behind the station have proven that the concept does work and that they are able to fund it. But my point really is that so far the BAI have accepted the application for a temporary license whether or not there is some debate behind the scenes in BAI about it.

Well fingers crossed they don't do anything stupid anytime soon. As has been outlined in this thread on many an occasion Christmas FM is a solid tradition to many people's christmas now & it simply wouldnt be the same without it.

L1011

TRS30 wrote: »

'The BAI can award temporary sound broadcasting contracts for a period of up to 30 days in a 12 month period and also, if the applicant group represents a community and is seeking to set up a community radio station, then the period can be up to 100 days.'

Do we count as a community??

A community would be a geographic area or a single thing like a college or hospital and the 100 day licence is a precursor to getting a full time licence

A multi-site temporary like Christmas FM is only ever capable of getting a 30 day licence; and the same frequencies are used for other temporaries at other times of the year.


The other thing is that the sponsors and listenership will evaporate after the conventional closedown period to such a point that it ceases to be a fund-raiser but a cost to power multiple transmitters. The mass audience for it is the few weeks running up to Christmas only.

Lord Nelson

DvB wrote: »

Agree. The BAI as pointed out by yourself & Lord Nelson are a law unto themselves and wont be bending rules for anyone.

My suggestion was more in hope & jest than expectation.

So a saturday KO looking likely. May have to put the foot down & ensure my availability to be listening live.

To be fair to the BAI (if one can be?), I think the 30 day rule is enshrined in the Act so they are hamstrung? That said, it probably suits them as it means they can avoid making any sort of decision.
As has also been mentioned, no applicant is guaranteed a licence. Every year the whole process of submitting reams of documentation has to be gone through. I would imagine the uncertainty of whether a licence will be granted or not doesn't help the stress levels of putting it all together.

Posy

Loughc wrote: »

How they don't see the benefit of what ChristmasFM do for charities and the wider communities is beyond me.

The thought that somebody, somewhere would have to mull over giving the licence to Christmas FM is baffling. No matter what your feelings on Christmas are, they have raised a staggering amount for so many charities! It's a shame they have never chosen an animal charity, although I don't think I could deal with sad animal stories.

DvB

Posy wrote: »

It's a shame they have never chosen an animal charity, although I don't think I could deal with sad animal stories.

Agree, would love to see the ISPCA or DSPCA chosen some year. But think this years chosen charity is quite apt given the year that's in it.

I often wonder if they did choose an animal charity would they raise as high a figure though, animals don't seem to open the purse strings in the same way I reckon, for many anyway.

California Dreamer

Posy wrote: »

The thought that somebody, somewhere would have to mull over giving the licence to Christmas FM is baffling. No matter what your feelings on Christmas are, they have raised a staggering amount for so many charities! It's a shame they have never chosen an animal charity, although I don't think I could deal with sad animal stories.

I think a few years ago they gave it to a charity that wasn't as 'feel good' and it didn't raise a ton of cash. Sick kids, old people that always brings in the bobs!

OUTDOORLASS

I often wondered why they did.nt have a mini fund raiser on their mini live sessions during the year...like Halloween etc....

Loughc

California Dreamer wrote: »

I think a few years ago they gave it to a charity that wasn't as 'feel good' and it didn't raise a ton of cash. Sick kids, old people that always brings in the bobs!

Actually Old people charities struggle. Kids charities make great money.

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Actually Old people charities struggle.

I think thats because of the perception in the Irish media, correct or not, that many older people are well set up & have a few bob, rather than the reality that many are barely getting by on the state pension.

Every time there's an election the same old nonsense is spouted by the media that paints a picture that the older generations hold all the wealth & property & are keeping the younger generations down (unfairly IMO, that's a privileged few) and I think that even if we know that's not true for many its in the back of people minds when on the cusp of donating. Whilst sick children dispel any such notions & people donate with far less thought.

Loughc

HalloweenFM goes Live next Thursday